Letter from Linus Patrick to John B. Patrick

Lebanon Marion County Kentucky
Nov, 11, 1862

My Dear Father

Your kind letter of the 5th inst has just been read and I proceed immediately to answer it - I wrote you a letter yesterday and mailed it this morning, we were on provost - guard down in town at that time, but we have been relieved, we were relieved today at twelve oclock, by a portion of the 50th Ohio, one of the Regiments of our Brigade - Our Brigade which is composed of the 98th, 50th, & l2lst Ohio Regiments and the 80th Indiana Regiment are all encamped together about half a mile from the edge of town - we have a very pleasant place to camp in, or it will be as soon as it is cleaned up which they are doing as fast as possible, it is in an oak wood pasture and has been used to feed in, consequently there is a great deal of rubbish in the camp, it has been raked up in piles & they are burning it this afternoon, & it is so smokey that a person can hardly walk through the camp - We have not got any tents yet, but I quarter in the Lieutenants tents as I have to take care of the Company books - you wanted to know what kind of transportation there was to where we are. The transportation is good now & will be as long as we stay here You can come all the way from Rushsylvania to Lebanon by rail-road either via of Cincinnati and Louisville or via Indianapolis & Louisville, the fare will be about - $10, or at least that is what a man told me he had to pay from Delaware Ohio and the distance is about the same - I want good, fine. Knit shirts the largest and longest you can get - I hope Rumer has started long ere this reaches you & I hope he has my shirts, boots, gloves & c & some provision for the company - if he has not started yet, have him start immediately. We have no commissioned officers elected or appointed yet, but I suppose we will have to have two as our 2nd Lieut is about to resign as he has just this moment sold his uniform - he was left back at Perryville & came up yesterday - Father I hope you will excuse me for not writing a longer letter, but I recd four or five letters to day & as our company came off Provost guard to day, we are off duty this afternoon & I want to answer some of them & our company is a little mixed up some of the sick men coming up from Perryville & it will require some time to get the books straightened up again & my head is so confused that I can scarcely think of anything, but I guess I have written everything necessary - Send Rumer with the thingsd if he has not started, for now is the best chance he will ever have- Write soon

Your affectionate Son
Linus A Patrick
send your letter to Lebanon via Louisville

(top of letter upside down): I want my boots made large so I can march in them easily - I wish I had a five dollar green back - until we draw our money

(at bottom): Do not have Bob Moore make my boots too small